MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey launches Military Covenant campaign
Kevin McKenna is calling for businesses and community groups to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.
Kevin McKenna, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, is set to launch a significant campaign today, aimed at bolstering support for the Armed Forces community within his constituency.
The campaign seeks to engage businesses, charities, community groups, and organisations in signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
By doing so, they publicly affirm their support for serving personnel, veterans, and military families, ensuring they are treated fairly and not disadvantaged due to their service.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio Kent, McKenna said:
"The Armed Forces Covenant is something that's been going for years.
"We as a party want to extend its reach, in the sense of extend what organisations can commit up to, but also massively just nationally, for more and more organisations, companies, charities, all to sign up to it.
"Up to now, it's been very, it's often been focused on sort of statutory provision, so local NHS hospitals are signed up to it, but we want to extend that.
"And in my constituency, we've got lots of we've got lots of veteran groups, obviously, and we've got loads of loads of groups like the Sea Cadets, the Royal Marine Cadets, the Air Cadets, and the Army Cadets. They all need a bit of help too."
On what inspired him to share the issue he said:
"The Sea Cadets are the ones that turned me on to the issue that we have locally with the military covenant.
"When my sea cadets in Sheppey went to look for all the businesses that were signed on to the military covenant, really alarmingly in their patch, they found only one business that signed up.
"So we have lots of people really want to support the armed forces.
"I know locally people particularly want to support veterans and support the future.
"And there's this great opportunity where people can show that support and also learn better how they can help veterans the most.
"You know, because sometimes the people's needs can be quite complicated."
He added that many were unaware the scheme was even an option:
"That's why this summer, starting at Armed Forces Day, all the way through to remembrance, we're pushing really hard to help people locally understand what the covenant is about and try and get as many signups as possible.
"I think it would be a great way of showing that sort of commitment to not just the service personnel, but their families as well."